Busan Film Festival names Kim Jong-kwan’s ‘The Table: Day and Night’ as opening film

The Busan International Film Festival has selected Kim Jong-kwan’s romance feature The Table: Day and Night as its opening film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The festival will stage the film’s world premiere in Busan on Oct. 6 as part of its opening programming.

The film is described as a delicate romance that follows four couples through encounters that unfold in the same Seoul café. Rather than centering on a single continuous storyline, the format links the couples’ separate experiences to the setting, creating a shared space for different perspectives on love and timing.

The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Kim Minha, a star credited with hosting duties, will host the opening ceremony alongside the festival’s presentation of the film. The announcement ties the opening-night spotlight to both the director’s work and the event’s on-stage programming.

The Busan International Film Festival selection means the film’s first public showing will come in a festival venue before any wider release plans, giving the project early visibility with industry audiences, filmmakers, and press attending the October event window.

While the opening-film announcement frames the movie’s premiere as a central event for the festival schedule, the reported details focused on plot structure and the opening-ceremony hosting lineup, rather than additional casting, distribution arrangements, or release timelines beyond the Oct. 6 premiere date.

The festival’s choice also places Kim Jong-kwan’s feature into a high-profile local context, with the story’s Seoul café setting contrasted against Busan’s role as the festival’s springboard for premieres and debut audience reactions.

With the date set for Oct. 6, the festival’s next steps are expected to include further programming announcements around opening-night events and related screenings, as the film’s debut enters its public phase at Busan before subsequent festival or commercial distribution milestones.